Life-buoy.



F. WOODS.

'LIPE BUO Y. APPLIOATIQN FILED JULY 7, 1909.

Patented Au l30,19'10.

g SHEETS-SHEET 1.

FREDERICK- F. WOODS. I

LIFE BUOY. APPLIOATICN FILED JULY '7, 1909.

96 9,020. Patented Aug. 30, 1910.

3 SHEETS SHEET 3.

glwuwwtoz 3% EREDERlCK 022i g g i I 27W? 6/ p-loyed to close the entrance port, Fig. 5 is FREDERTCK WOODS, 01? LAKEWOOD, MINNESOTA.

' LIFE-BUOY.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed July 7, 1909. Serial No. 506,283.

Patented To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FREDERICK Woons, a citizen of the United States, residing at Lakewood, in the county of St. Louis and State of Minnesota, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Life Buoys, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to new and useful improvements in life buoys and is designed to be carried upon ships or other passenger vessels and to replace the life boats as at present employed.

The object of my invention is to provide a device of this character, which is so mounted and supported upon the deck of the vessel that it may be very quickly launched therefrom in cases of emergency or disaster. Another object is to providea life buoy of spherical construction and having suitable air chambers to give it the required buoyancy, thus obviating the liability of the same being sunk during storms.

A further object is to provide a life buoy having an air-tight entrance port, and means .operable from within, whereby pure air may be allowed to enter the buoy, and the vitiated air exhausted therefrom.

A still further object is to provide suitable means by which distress signals may be displayed from the buoy, suitable water pumps being provided by means of which any water which may enter the interior of the same may be rapidly pumped therefrom.

With these and other objects in view, the present invention consists in the combination and arrangement of parts as will be hereinafter more fully described and particularly pointed out in the appended claims, it being. understood that changes in the specific structure shown and described may be made within the scope of the claims without departing from the spirit ofthe invention.

In the drawings forming a part of this specification, and in which like numerals of reference indicate similar parts .in the several views, Figure 1 is aside elevation of my improved life buoy, showing the same mounted upon the deck of a vessel, Fig. 2 is an enlarged vertical sectionthrough the life buoy, Fig. 3 is a similar view taken on the line 3r3 of Fig. 2, Fig. 4 is an enlarged fragmentary section showing the means eman enlarged detail section of the signal supporting tube, Fig. 6 is an end view of the buoy support.

The life boat is spherical in form and is supported upon the deck of a vessel by a suitable frame as shown in Fig. l of the drawings. This frame comprises the four vertical posts or standards 1, upon the upper ends of which a plate 2 is secured and clamped thereon by means of suitable Aug. 30, 1910.

clamping nuts 3. The plate 2 is formed with a central circular opening 4, which receives the spherical life buoy, the detail of construction of which will be later set forth. Suitable rods 5 are secured to the standards 1 on either side of the plate 2. The supporting frame is square in plan, and upon oppositev sides thereof awtransverse plate 6 is secured to the standards 1. A shaft 7 extends centrally through this plate and has secured thereto between the plates 6 a suitable reel 8 upon which the cable 9 is wound.

One end of the shaft 7 is provided with a suitable operating handle 7,'by means of which the reel may be operated. One end of the cable 9 is secured to a staple fixed in the bottom of the life buoy, the other end thereof being secured to the reel 8. Astairway 11 is secured to one side of the supporting frame, by means ofwhich passengers may ascend .to thetop of the frame and enter the life buoy. Having thus described the manner in which the life buoy is supported upon the deck of the vessel, the detailed. construction of the same will now be set forth.

The life buoy comprises the two senii spherical sections 12, each of which is provided with an exterior peripheral flange 13, by-means of which the sections are connected and secured together, suitable clamping bolts 14 being employed for this purpose. The sections 12 each comprise the concentrically arranged inner and outer shells 15 and 15' respectively, an air space 16 being thus provided .by means of which the required buoyancy is secured. The shells are sustained in spaced relation by means of a.

secured in the lower section, and suitable Wardly in parallel relation with the inner surface of the sections and is extended through the shells of the upper section to the exterior of the life buoy. A cut-01f valve 21 isarranged in the pipe 20 and is adapted to prevent the entrance of water through the same which might occur in a high sea. A support 22 is centrally arranged in the floor 18 and has secured. to ts upper end the illuminating lamp 23. Circularl y arranged upon the inner shell of the bottom section are the seats 24', straps 2d being secured to the backs thereof by means of which the passengers may be held in the seats during the rolling or pitching of the life buoy. Air pumps 25-are'also supported upon the floor 18, adjacent to the seats 24,

' and have the air pipes 26 connected thereto.

A. housing 27 extends exteriorly of the upper section and is provided with a plural ity of perforations through which the air is admitted. Within this tube the upper end of the air pipe 28 is disposed, and cut-off valves 28 are located therein, whereby the supply of fresh air may be regulated; A. second housing 29, similar to the housing 27 also extends through the upper section and an exhaust pipe 30 is located therein. A valve 31 is located in the pipe 30 whereby the foul or vitiated air may beexhausted from the interior of the life buoy.

A tube extends through the top of the life buoy, adjacent to the tubes 27 and 29, and has the closure cap 33 threaded into the end thereof. Through this tube 32 a flag or lamp may be extended, as a signal of distress, and is supported therein by means of the ferrule 3st, secured to the standard 35, and disposed within the cap 33. A dome 36 is secured to the exterior of the upper section, and is arranged to cover the various tubes extending therethrough. The lower portion of this dome isperforated, to allow of the free entrance of the air to the tube 27. An opening is, of course, provided in the top of the dome 36, through which the signal is extended. A. bail 37 is secured to the top of the dome, in which the end of a chain or cable is hooked when it is desired to elevate the life buoy to the deck of the vessel.

An entrance opening 38 is provided upon one side of the upper section, and closure plates 39 and 40 are pivoted upon the outer and inner shells respectively. Upon the underside of the outer plate 39 an annular flange 41 is formed. A Washer or gasket 42 is secured to the outeredge of this flange and extends between the plates 39 and the edge of the entrance opening 38. The washer 42 is formed of any suitable waterproof material and forms an air-tight closure for the opening 38, so that-the entrance .of water therethrough will be effectually pr yented. A screw threaded rod 43 excentrally through the plate 40 and is eeaoeo in threaded engagement therewith. A ball 44 is formed upon the outer end of the rod 43 and is disposed in a socket integrally formed with the plate 39. The outer plate 39 is also hinged at one side of the opening as shown at 45, so as to allow sufficient vertical movement thereof for the flange d0 to be raised above the outer shell of the section. The plates 39 and .40 may then be swung to one side so that entrance may be readily had to the interior of the life buoy. After the passengers have enteredi the plates are positioned over the opening 38, and the rod 43 is rotated until the outer plate 39 is drawn down into secure engagement with the periphery of the life buoy. Immediately below the-entrance opening-38, a shelf or step 46 is secured to the inner shell 15. The passenger may easily step from the shelf 46 to the seat 24. Windows 47 are arranged between the shelves of the upper section and are in. the form of'a truncated cone. A metallic casing is provided for these windows, and the outer and inner edges thereof are fiangeddow-n upon the edge of the glass, whereby the same will be securely retained in position. A water chamber 48 'is provided between the inner shell and the outer shell of the lower section and is designed to contain drinking water for the use of the passengers Within the life buoy. A suitable ipe communicates therewith and is provided-with the faucet 49. In the upper edge of the lower section, a suitable fillin opening is provided by means of whic the water chamber may be readily filled. Space may also be provided From the foregoing, it will be seen that I have provided an extremely simple construction of life buoy which is so constructed that the same may be constantly supplied with fresh air and the vitiated air readily exhausted, thereby preserving the health of the occupant and materially adding to the buoyancy of the vessel. When the ship is in distress and in imminent danger of sinking, the life buoy is lifted from the opening 4: in the top late 2, and as the vessel descends the ca le 9 will unwind from the reel 8 and the life buoy will be sustained upon the surface of the waters By providing a closure for the entrance opening 38, as above described, all danger of the water entering therethrough is overcome, and should the outer shell 15 be injured during the descent of the vessel, the water pumps 19 may be worked and the Water which may have entered by the air space 16 rapidly exhausted therefrom. It will thus be seen that every possible exigency has A bottom plate 50 is se-' been I rovided for-and that the ultimate rescue the'occupants of the life buoy is practically assured. The life buoy is, moreover, very strongly constructed and the various elements thereof can be. readily'assembled. My improved construction. of support is alsovery simple and extremely inexpensive and occupies but little space upon the deck of the vessel, forming no obstruction to the. movements of the. passengers or the crew,

.The exterior of the life buoyshould be painted albrilliant color so that it may be easily seen; and thus it will be noticeable ing communicating with the interior of 'Sitld life buoy, air inlet and exhaust pipes extending exteriorl thereof, a perforated housing for each 0 said pipes, a dome secured to the periphery of said life buoy and covering said-housings, said dome bein perforated, and means for supporting said life buoy upon the deck of a vessel.

' 2. A spherical life buoy comprising-outer 'and'inner shells forming an air space, air

pipes. extending. through said shells and communicating with the interior of the life buoy, a perforated housing arranged over each of said pipes, a tube extending through said shells, a slgnal removably supported in said tube, a

erforated dome secured upon the outer shel and lnclosmg said houslngs, an entrance opening communicating with the interior of said life buoy, closure plates arranged upon either side of said opening,

a washer securedto the under sideof the outer plate, a rod pivotally connected to said plate, and threaded through the inner plate, windows arranged between the inner and outer shells, a spacing member secured between said shells, and means for supporting said life buoy u on the deck of a vessel.

' 3. A s herica life buoy comprising two semicircu ar sections each consisting of two outer and'inner shells, said sections being connected and secured together by bolts extending through exterior flanges formed thereon, an exhaust air' pipe extending through said shells, an inlet pipe through said shells, a perforated housin arranged '0\ er each of said pipes, a flooring secured 1n the lower sectlon, air pumps su orted u on and floor and connected to sm inlet air pi e, an entrance opening extending. throu range upon either side of said opening,

'the upper section, closure plates .a-r-

means for securing said plates against movement, water pumps communicating with the space between said shells, a pipe extending from said pumps to theexterior of said life -top thereof, a perforate buoy, and means for supporting said life buoy upon the deck of a vessel.

4. A spherical life buoy comprising two seniispherical sections, each ofs'aid sections" consisting of. an inner. and outer metallic I shell, an" I-beam; disposed between said shells spacing the same, seats circularly arranged in the interior of the lower section,

windows disposed at diametrically opposite points in they upper section between said inner and outer shells, an entrance opening extending through. said shells, a flooring arranged in said lower section, anillum1nat ing lamp centrally [supported th'ereon,a bottom plate secured to the exterior of said lower section, inlet and exhaust air pipes extending through the upper section at the housin arran ed over each of saidpipes, a signa lexten ed through said upper. section and removably supported therein, a perforated dome ar- -ranged;over.sa1d housings and secured to the exterior of the upper' section, water pumps arranged in said lower section, a1r

pumps arranged in 'thelower section and connected to said 'inlet air passages, a step secured to salidupper section beneath the entrance opening, a water tank arranged in said lower sectlon between the outer and inner shells, and means for supporting the said life buoy upon the deck of a vessel. 1

5. A- spherical lifebuoy having inlet and exhaust air passages extending therethrough,

an entrance openlng communicating with the interior thereof, signaLsu portin means extending through the top 0 said life buoy, a protecting dome disposed over said air passages and the si nal supports, windows arranged in the wa life buoy, in combination with. a support comprising vertical standards having a.

being secured to said reel, a handle upon one end of said shaft for operating said reel, and a stairway secured to one side of of said life. buoy, a weight plate secured to the bottom of said.

said support and extending from .the bot- I tom to the top thereof.

in presence of two witnesses.

, FREDERICK WOODS. Witnesses: l

. W. BIETAN,

EMMA OLsorI.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature, 

